At the same time, the rest of the Trax range has been the subject of a $500 price increase as part of a model update, with the base model 1.8-litre LS available from $23,990 (automatic $2500) and the existing 1.8-litre LTZ coming in at $28,490.

The new engine will be available as an LTZ variant only.

At the heart of the new model is a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 103kW and 200Nm of torque. The same engine can be found in the Holden Cruze.

Drive is channelled to the front wheels via a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The teaming returns a claimed fuel reading of 6.9L/100km combined.

The carryover 1.8-litre remains unchanged in its outputs, rated at 103kW and 175Nm respectively. In manual guise, that engine returns a claimed fuel reading of 7.0L/100km combined, while the optional six-speed automatic is rated at 7.6L/100km combined.

Holden says the new Trax offers superior road noise insulation, better ride and handling quality and more direct steering. The latter elements have been enhanced with the help of about 25 local engineers, the company says.